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learning to abide

what does it look like to hear His heart for us in every situation we come to in our path?
as i wrote this question in my journal a few weeks ago, something in my spirit knew that the answer was by way of a single, simple word. abide.

it’s a familiar word to those of us who have grown up hearing john 15 recited many times. verse 5 says “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” when i looked deeper into this word, i found this meaning to be multi-faceted. to abide literally means to remain as one. to stay connected with intentionality, to not become separate or different. a few synonyms for this word might be to dwell, continue, or tarry. continual relationship. one that flows in and through and around our entire day.

one of the most basic truths in this for me is He desires to be in unbroken fellowship with me. He desires my very heart. not for what i do or what i accomplish, but simply because He created me for His own enjoyment. in my days, this would look like asking Papa what His heart is for those in my family, the ones i am in relationship with, the drivers sitting next to me at a red light, the ones i pass in the grocery store, the ones i make art for. it means tapping into the very thing that should be our source for the truest sense of life we will ever experience. it means coming to Him for the big things, but also the small things. it also means ministering to His heart, because He ultimately created us for Himself. it means believing He knows, and He cares about everything going on around me. it would change everything if we operated out of that truth.

in john 14:10, it says, “don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.” in this verse, it means to be “continually operative in Him by His divine influence and energy.” So, it is not just our source for what we know and how we know, but it is also the very place where we gain strength to do what we are called to do. a conscious choice to join ourselves with His mindset and mission and the very essence of how we can accomplish what He whispers to us. choosing to ask, listen and then act on the things He does say. because the Spirit is in us, He reveals the deep things of God’s heart to us. (1 corinthians 2:11-12)

a similar word is found in psalm 91, verse 1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” operating out of a place of true exchange with Him provides all that we need. the choice to stay, or remain in the place of His dwelling allows us to abide in His protection and presence. to remain in something speaks to being faithful, steadfast, and unfailing. so, remaining in a place of connectedness to the Spirit will help us to know who we are not only in Christ but to Christ. bringing value to us in a way that nothing else can.

may we go through our days with the knowledge and the experience that He loves us more than we can imagine, and desires our very being to be with His and from that place we can learn His heart. Then, He can leave His mark of love on the core of our beings so that we can show His love to those around us.

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about me

my name is aimee, and most of the time you will find me using my hands. whether it's creating custom invitations, enhancing my surroundings, addressing envelopes, painting watercolors or writing a note to a friend, i want to keep the art of hand-lettering alive for your wedding or lifestyle uses.

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for questions about your own custom project or handmade good, send me a message through my etsy shop or email me